Mount Olive Defeats Lees-McRae In Conference Carolinas Quarterfinals

Mount Olive Defeats Lees-McRae In Conference Carolinas Quarterfinals

MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. – The Mount Olive Trojans defeated the Bobcats of Lees-McRae College on Monday afternoon in the quarterfinals of the 2019 Conference Carolinas Women's Basketball Championship Tournament in Kornegay Arena at Mount Olive, N.C.

GAME INFORMATION
Score: Mount Olive 74 - Lees-McRae 60
Records: Mount Olive (17-10, 12-8), Lees-McRae (14-15, 10-10)
Location: Kornegay Arena | Mount Olive, N.C.

How It Happened
Play-by-Play

FIRST QUARTER

  • Azariah Fields scored the opening basket of the game 27 seconds into the opening quarter. 
  • The two teams proceeded to trade points back and forth through the next six minutes as the score sat knotted at 10 all at the four-minute mark.
  • Makayla Nichols hit a three-pointer off an assisted pass from Jada Bacchus to give UMO a 13-10 lead with 2:53 to go.
  • Lees-McRae closed out the quarter on a 9-3 run taking a 19-16 lead into the second quarter.

SECOND QUARTER

  • Bacchus put in a layup that pulled the Trojans within a point and after the Bobcats converted a pair of free throws that put the score at 21-18, UMO went on a 9-0 run to take a 27-21 lead with 4:54 to play.
  • UMO held on to their lead as the teams went into halftime with the Trojans up 34-32 despite the Bobcats trying to retake the lead following an 11-7 rally to close the second quarter.

THIRD QUARTER

  • Hope Toliver scored the opening basket of the second half to give Mount Olive a 36-32 lead, but Lees-McRae came back on a 7-0 run to take a 39-36 lead as the clock approached the five-minute mark.
  • The Trojans battled over the next four minutes to take back the lead going up 42-39 following a 6-0 run of their own. 
  • In the final 1:47 of the third quarter, UMO led a 7-6 run to close out the quarter holding on to a six-point lead 49-43 with ten minutes to play in the fourth.

FOURTH QUARTER

  • Mount Olive opened up a 10-point lead, 56-46 at 7:34, after going on a 7-3 run to start the fourth.
  • Lees-McRae pulled within five points, 56-51, following five quick points from Markia Stacey for the Bobcats in the span of 22 seconds. 
  • The Trojans, after going on a 7-4 run, regained a 10-point lead, 65-55 as the clock ticked down to 4:45 following a layup by Felecity Havens
  • UMO held off the Bobcats of LMC by closing out the final minutes of the fourth quarter on a 9-5 run to win by 14 points, 74-60.

KEY STATS

  • Jada Bacchus led the Trojans with 21 points, seven short of her career-high. She also brought down 12 rebounds.
  • Kelly Post joined Bacchus with her first double-double of the season scoring 11 points and collecting 10 rebounds.
  • Felecity Havens, Azariah Fields, and Hope Toliver all scored double-figures with 15, 14, and 10 points respectively.

UP NEXT

Mount Olive will travel to Franklin Springs, Ga., where they will face the No. 1 seeded Lions of Emmanuel College on Thursday afternoon. The Trojans and Lions tip off at 5:30 in the semifinal game of the 2019 Conference Carolinas Women's Basketball Championship Tournament.